the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair 2012

I had all good intentions to keep making and blogging whilst back at work but I've just been sooooooooo tired!    Today though, my daughter, niece and I took a trip into Manchester to the great northern contemporary craft fair, a veritable feast of gorgeousness!

I AdOrE fifites designs so these modern takes were a purchase must!  (I also LoVe toadstools!)  It took me ages to choose which pieces to have but eventually went for the toadstool mug and plate, the leaf jug and the green bowl and dinner plate.  I'll certainly be adding to the collection of pottery by Sarah Heaton.  The grey pieces are gorgeous too...

There's so much to see at this show.  These paper birds were delightful..

..this wooden pendulum clock a masterpiece, and mesmerising to watch...

...and this ceramic work by Claire Baker is such fun!  (Check out that 'cup handle' made from a spoon!)

Liz Cooksey's beautiful textiles are tiny and intricate and just stunning!  I love how they look like miniature quilts..

... and they're such a contrast to Holly Levell's equally amazing textile pieces which re-create retro food and sweets!

I made a number of purchases (oops!), which I'll share tomorrow, some of which came from the very talented Julia Jowett who, it turns out, recently joined Unit Twelve, a favourite gallery of mine :)  Isn't this wire work stunning?

... and the girl's dress in the above piccie is all hand embroidered!  I'm DeFiNiTeLY signing up for her workshop in February 2012 :)

There's sooooooo much to see at this show, and I didn't get pics of everything I loved, but we did have a fantastic day, and snapped some pics of some of the fabulous Manchester architecture on the way back to the tram :)